Chapter 23: The Judge with the Red Beard

“Hey, brother!” A thin man wearing a gold mask approached Alpha Devon and tapped his shoulder.

“A different girl?” The man’s sharp eyes scanned me up and down from behind the mask.

“She is my girl.” Alpha Devon put his arm around my waist and deliberately blocked the man’s view of me.

“She looks hot,” the man said.

“Duke, do you want to taste my fist?” Alpha Devon grabbed the man’s collar with one hand.

“Hey! Calm down,” Duke said, raising his hands. “It’s just a joke.” Alpha Devon let go, and Duke adjusted his collar. Just as Alpha Devon was about to leave with me, Duke stopped him.

“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Alpha Devon asked impatiently. “Brother, I don’t want to fight with you,” Duke said, approaching Alpha Devon. “There’s a business I think you should be interested in.”

“What business?” Alpha Devon asked. Then I saw Duke whisper something in Alpha Devon’s ear, and Alpha Devon listened with a thoughtful expression.

“Do you want us to talk alone in a private place?” Duke asked, glancing towards a corner.

“Alright. You only have 30 minutes,” Alpha Devon said, calling a waiter.

“Take this lady to my exclusive VIP room.”

I shook Alpha Devon’s hand nervously, not wanting him to leave me alone. “Never mind,” he comforted me softly. “Wait for me in my room.” Alpha Devon released my hand and handed me over to the attendant. Then I saw him disappear with Duke at the end of the corner.

“Please follow me, madam,” the waiter said courteously. I followed him through the noisy hall to the upper rooms. He pushed open a door marked D on the outside and gestured for me to enter.

“This is the exclusive VIP room of Alpha Devon. If you need anything else, you can ring the bell in the room. Have a great time tonight.”

As soon as I stepped into the room, it lit up instantly. The otherwise dark room had a circular stage in the center with a silver steel pole. The chandelier on the roof emitted a faint haze of pink and purple, which added to the room’s atmosphere.

I noticed that one wall of the room was adorned with props I had never seen before, including a black whip, handcuffs, a mask, a round steel ball that glowed silver, and even a dildo.

I was startled when I realized that these were SM props. Were these Alpha Devon’s preferences? But it was too late to leave, and where could I go?

Just then, I heard an extremely low voice outside the door.

“No one knows the secret about the rebellion of the Crescent pack. Because the werewolves in this tribe are nearly extinct!” What was I hearing? Why would anyone mention my old pack, the Crescent pack.?

In order to hear the voices outside more clearly, I quietly put my ear to the door. However, there was no sound outside. So I quickly pushed the door open and looked out. I saw the back of a man in the aisle.

Was he the one who had just spoken? Just as I was about to return to my room, the man suddenly turned and looked at me. Although the mask on his face covered the upper part of his face, his chin showed a ring of red beard.

The moment he stared at me, I quickly closed the door. My back was against the door, and my heart was beating violently.

It was him! The judge with the red beard. I would never forget how he grabbed my head and smashed it on the floor in prison. He had threatened me in various ways to testify against my father for his part in the mutiny.

Why was he here? What was the secret he mentioned about the current lunar pack? Arya, leave him alone. The crescent pack no longer exists, and therefore no meaningless trace can be made. But I couldn’t let it go.

He had just mentioned the secret of the Crescent Pack’s rebellion, and I needed to understand what that secret was. I never believed that my father and my people would betray our Wolf King. Perhaps it was a conspiracy.

My heart was in turmoil, and a thousand voices were swirling in my head. I didn’t know what to do. It would be too late if I didn’t act fast. A strong impulse drove me to open the door, and I didn’t hesitate to follow.

However, there was no sign of the red-bearded man in the corridor. So I continued on, and I saw a shadow glimmering around the corner of the passage. I plucked up my courage and started in the direction of the shadow, but it was only a dead end, and there was no one around.

Just as I was about to turn back, a strong hand reached out from the darkness and dragged me away. I tried to scream, but the man covered my mouth with his other hand.

He dragged me into a small room and pushed me to the ground. My head hit the ground with a dull thud, and I temporarily lost consciousness for a few seconds.

The man switched on the light in the room and locked the door. He approached me as I lay on the ground, gradually regaining consciousness. I saw his face become clearer as he removed his mask, revealing his red beard.

“Hello, girl!” he laughed and crouched down to look at me. “Why are you following me? Are you interested in me?”

I spat in his face, and he punched me in the face in response. Blood filled my mouth, and the mask was knocked off my face. The man recognized me as the daughter of the Crescent Pack beta, whom he had sentenced to death.

“So what do you want to do?” he asked, putting his hand around my neck. “Do you want to avenge your father?”

I yelled at him, “I want you dead!” He tightened his grip around my neck, making it difficult for me to breathe. He smiled grimly, enjoying my struggle.

“You were always silent when you were in prison. I even thought you were dumb. I want to hear your screams before I kill you! That must be more fun than torturing you!” I tried to call out to my wolf, but I couldn’t feel its presence. I realized I couldn’t beat him and was on the verge of death.

“Help! Devon!” I cried out for Alpha Devon.